Empoyee vans-bring home or bring to shop

[Minuteman]

I would like to see this as a poll.

Allows trucks/vans to go home, Has GPS spyware, Parks at the shop, etc.

 

[DanZ]

Do you guys inventory your trucks and stock weekly / monthly, right out in the open where they can see they are being tracked?

 

[jayrad1122]

That's illegal, no matter where you live, if you're driving. Park the thing on the street someplace out from the job and call the wife to bring you home some day if you want to make a point. "Oh, you wanted me to bring that back to the shop- for free?"

I always thought it was. But I think I make most of that time up coming in late almost every day. ( I'm on CO-OP, so I get out of school around 9 and get to work at 9:15, but I write down I get there at 9.)

 

[SiddMartin]

Sidd, did you say you drive a company truck burning company gas TO work every morning AND get paid for the time get there as well?

Sweet deal.

only if going straight to job. If I goto the shop first, my time starts at the shop. As well as my time ends when I leave the shop or the job site (depending on where jobsite is ofcourse) . Gas is always paid for.

 

[Rawls007]

I put GPS on all(four) of my vans.

How much does this system cost? Do you have a link?

 

[iwire]

s.sparkomatic.r09 I agree with all your tracking, and I am not an owner I am a van driving employee. When I am on the clock driving the company truck the company has every right to know where I am.

However I think this..

All of the vans have those job site time clocks in them so when the lead man gets to the job all the other guys have to punch in at the van.
I like this because now the time starts when the van and the tools are on the job, not twenty five minutes late because of traffic or what ever, then leave at 330.

...could get you in trouble with the labor department.

If you tell all the guys to show up for 7AM and they can't punch in because the foreman is late I believe you still have to pay the guys that did show up on time from the scheduled start time.

The fact that they 'can' work late to make up for that has no bearing on the fact they where told a specific start time.

Just something to consider. :smile:

 

[Minuteman]

The fact that they 'can' work late to make up for that has no bearing on the fact they where told a specific start time.

Just something to consider. :smile:

I agree. Fair is fair.

 

[brian john]

I fought GPS's at my company, if I can't trust my men, well I'll quit (or fire them).

Trucks are a benefit to both employer and employee. A mech with a truck at home allows me to service my customers faster on emergency calls, and the guy can go straight to the job in lieu of a side trip to the office, plus some my trucks have $100,000.00 of test equipment at any one time. Safer in a good neighborhood than at my warehouse.

With fuel exceeding $4.00 a gallon and my men living 60+ miles away, it is a good deal for them.

 

[ultramegabob]

I worked with a guy once who got fired for driving out of state with a company truck and using a company fuel card to pay for the trip, what a bonehead, like the beancounters in the office wouldnt notice a several out of state credit card purchases where no work was being done.

 

[BryanMD]

Some years ago when I turned in my first batch of tickets and receipts at a new shop, I had written down the odo #'s and rough mpg (as I always have done, even personal). The office lady (owners wife) was stunned at the notion of it. I think she didn't want to be bothered with the record keeping.

 

[mdshunk]

Some years ago when I turned in my first batch of tickets and receipts at a new shop, I had written down the odo #'s and rough mpg (as I always have done, even personal). The office lady (owners wife) was stunned at the notion of it. I think she didn't want to be bothered with the record keeping.

The fleet fuel card companies pretty much do that for you now. They make it so you have to enter in truck number and odometer reading before you can even pump gas. Shows up on the monthly bill, and flags anything unusual. It's not so much personal gas purchases on the truck's card, but more for trencher gas and generator gas, etc., that screws up the apparent MPG.

 

[BryanMD]

External uses aside, the difference betw truck #1 and truck #2 is almost always the driving habits of the guy behind the wheel, and who broke the engine in when it was brand new. Yet another reason for us guys with some gray up top to be getting the new truck and passing the others down the line.

YMMV (literally this time)

 

[adamants]

my guys can

my guys can

I let my workers take the vehicles home each day, with some conditions... i don't let them drive all around town after hours, but they can use it to go to the dairy etc. they have to keep it washed and check the oil, tyres etc regularly and make sure they show up to work on time. apparently it works out to about $10k if it were paid in wages for them to keep another car of equal value, quality etc. but abuse the privilage, and start walking for all i care!

 

[petersonra]

If you let them drive the vans home from the job site and don't pay them for the driving time, isn't that a taxable benefit to the employee that you have to report to the IRS?

 

[BryanMD]

If you let them drive the vans home from the job site and don't pay them for the driving time, isn't that a taxable benefit to the employee that you have to report to the IRS?

Only in extreme circumstances would it be construed that way. eg: if the guy lived an *extremely* long distance away, or if the van was being used for other than business use like pulling his boat or RV for the family vacation. (But no one *here* would ever do that, would they? )

In almost every usual instance it is either a wash or a net benefit to the contractor to have the truck and mechanic in one place for off hour service calls and other similar and legitimate business purposes. Then there are the issues of zoning and complaining neighbors wrt commercial vehicles in resi areas and the security of the truck/tools.

 

[petersonra]

Only in extreme circumstances would it be construed that way. eg: if the guy lived an *extremely* long distance away, or if the van was being used for other than business use like pulling his boat or RV for the family vacation. (But no one *here* would ever do that, would they? )

In almost every usual instance it is either a wash or a net benefit to the contractor to have the truck and mechanic in one place for off hour service calls and other similar and legitimate business purposes. Then there are the issues of zoning and complaining neighbors wrt commercial vehicles in resi areas and the security of the truck/tools.

my understanding is that if an employee uses an employee owned vehicle to drive to his place of work, its a taxable benefit to the employee. a place I worked at had a bunch of VPs got a big surprise one year when the value of their company cars got reported as income.

 

[satcom]

my understanding is that if an employee uses an employee owned vehicle to drive to his place of work, its a taxable benefit to the employee. a place I worked at had a bunch of VPs got a big surprise one year when the value of their company cars got reported as income.

The employee is taking the truck home, to respond to service, and emergency calls.

 

[BryanMD]

my understanding is that if an employee uses an employee owned vehicle to drive to his place of work, its a taxable benefit to the employee. a place I worked at had a bunch of VPs got a big surprise one year when the value of their company cars got reported as income.

Stop changing up the examples.
The rules for an office guy (VP?), who will be staying at the office all day are different from an electrician going around to site work.

The rules on these (several examples) were a LOT more generous in the old days.

 

[POWER_PIG]

I take my van home....A bennie I truly apprecitate